Toy gun.



PATENTED SEPT. 13, 1904. A. L. REID & L. WILSON.

TOY GUN.

APPLIQATION FILED JUNE 22, 1903.

NO MODEL.

Patented September 13, 1904.

UNITED Stains PATENT Or'rrcn.

ALAN L. REID AND LULOF F WILSON OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS,

3V MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO-SAID WILSON.

OY GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,919, dated September 13, 1904.

Application filed June 22, 1903.

To all whmn it may concern: Be it known that we, ALAN L. REID and LU LOFF WILSON, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Guns; and we hereby declare that the follow: ing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawingawhich form part of this specification. v

Our invention relates to toy guns, and has particular reference to toy guns adapted to explode detonating caps. v

The primaryobject of ourinvention is to provide a toy gun which will be safe in oper-. ation, simple in construction, and adapted to be cheaply manufactured. g A. further object of our invention is "to produce a firing mechanism for toy cap guns which will have an advantageous action,

whereby the caps may be inserted without the danger of a premature explosion and where by when the mechanism is properly operated a quick positive release of the spring-actuated firing-plunger is eifected, enabling said plunger to deliver a sharp free blow'u'pon the cap to be exploded.

\Vith a view to attaining these and other objects, which will become apparent from the following description, our,,invention consists in certain features of construction and arrangement,-which will be hereinafter more fully described, and specified in the claims.

In the drawings, wherein we have illustrated our invention as embodied in a toy cap-exploding cannon, Figure l is a section taken in central longitudinal vertical planeillustrating in full lines the position of the parts in the first firing position before the operating-handle is retracted to withdraw the firingplunger and place the operating-spring under tension and in dotted lines illustrating the position assumed when the operating-handle has been moved to retract the plunger and the connecting-pawl is about to be actuated to release the firing mechanism fromthe operating-handle. Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating in full lines the position of the parts Serial No. 162,462. (No model.)

assumed when the operating-handle has completed its full firing sweep, the firing mechanism having been released by the connecting-pawl and returned to initial position, and in dotted lines showing the parts in reloading position. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the device. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Throughout the drawings like numerals of reference refer to like parts.

Referring now to the construction illus trated, 5 indicates a base-block, which may be of wood or other preferred material.

6 indicates a standard or frame .of suitable configuration, preferably formed of sheet metal bent to inverted-U forrrf and provided with suitable perforated feet 7, whereby it is securedto the blocks, as by means of screws 8.

Mounted upon the transverse portion of the standard dis a metallic barrel 9, preferably formed of sheet metal properly emitorted.

"If this method of manufacture is followed, the

barrel will be split at some point, preferably along the under side thereof, as indicated in Fig. 4. at 9.

10 indicates a cap abutment or anvil arranged at a suitable point within the barel 9.

The anvil 10 is shaped to generally fit withinthe-barrel 9, but is cut out in portions, as in dicated at 11, to permit the passage of gas and air therepa'st within the barrel. The anvil 10 isprovided withsuitable lugs 12, projecting from its periphery and engaging in" apertures formed to receive the same in'the barrel 9. Preferably one of these lugs 12 is disposed toengage the barrel at' the top thereof, while other lugs are arranged to engage apertures inthe barrel on opposite sides of the slit 9, or, in other words, to engage the ing longitudinally along the under side of the barrel 9 at the rear end thereofto permit the crating-lever mounted for rotation about an axis, a vibrating arm coaxially arranged rela' tive to said operating-lever, a releasable pawl connection between the operating-lever and the. vibrating arm, a spring for normally holding. the vibrating arm at its forward limit of movement, a firing-plunger, and a con-nection between said plunger and the vibrating arm.

Referring now to the'specific embodiment illustrated in the drawings, indicates a transverse shaft mounted in the frame 6 below the opening 14 in the cannon-barrel.

16 indicates avibratingarm mounted there-, on for oscillation and having its upper end extending through the slot 14 in the cannonbarrel into the interior; 1.7,, a plunger'head, preferably" of metal, arranged within the gunbarrel and adapted to slide therein, and 18 is a plungenrod, at one end secured to said plunger-head and at its other end pivotally con-- nected with the extremity of the vibrating arm 16.

20 indicates a spring coiled around the shaft 15, at one-end finding abutment against a fixed portion of the devicefsuch as the baseblock 5, and at its other end hooked around the vibrating arm 16, so that said spring com stantlytends to hold the vibrating arm at its forward limit of movement.- It'will be understood that the parts are so arranged that the forwardmovement of the vibrating arm is stopped by the contact of plunger-head 17 with the cap-anvil 10. a v

21 indicates an operating-lever of suitable configuration pivotally mounted upon the shaft 15 for oscillation thereon. At its lower end the lever 21 carries a connecting-pawl 22 pivoted thereto. The pawl 22 is, provided with an upturned nose 22 on the forward side of the pivotanda relatively heavyreleasing-arm 22 extending on the other side of the pivot. The arrangement of the parts .is such that the weight of the arm 22* constantly tends to elevate-the nose 22, and the; parts are so arranged that when the operating-lever 21 is in vertical position' said nose 22 engages a notch shoulder 16, formed in the vibrating arm 16-in front of the shaft'15. The arm 22- istof such length as that whenv the arm 21 is oscillated with the nose 22- of the connecting-pawl in engagement with the shoulder 16 some fixed portion of the framework will intercept the path of the releasingarm of the pawl; In the present illustration 23 indicates an adjustable striking-piece in the form of a screw projecting upward through the base 5 and arranged to be struck by the arm22 of the connecting-pawl in its 24 indicates a sleeve surrounding the shaft 15 and arranged to hold the operating-lever 21 in proper lateral relation to the vibrating arm 16. j 4 In Fig. 1 are indicated in their proper po-' sitions a cap to be exploded and a cork adapted to be projected by the gun when a cap is exploded therein.- g

The use and operation of our invention will be asfollows: Assuming that the parts are in the position indicated in full lines in- Fig, 1'that is to say, with the nose 22 of the connecting-pawl engaging the shoulder 16 of the vihrating arm 16 and the explosivecap in position to contact with its anvil lO-movement'of the operating-lever 21 rearwardly operates through the pawl connection established by said lever 'and the vibrating arm 16 to move the said arm rearwardly coincidentally with the operating-lever to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, thereby re-. tracting with it the firing-plunger. During this initial movement of the connected parts 7 the pawl 22, whose nose22 engages shoulder movement as aforesaid.

16 of the vibrating arm, moves in fixed relation to the operating-lever, so that its extended releasing end 22 describes an are which if continued would include the striker member 23.' When the extremity of releasing arm 22 comes into contact with said striker member 23,however, continued movement of the operating-handle causes the central pivoted portionof the pawl to be depressed relative to the extremity-of the arm 22", engaging said "striker member, thereby throwing the-nose 22" out of engagement with the shoulder 16" of the vibrating arm. The said arm being thus disconnected from the operating-handle is free to return to initial position under tension of its spring 20, cansing the plunger-head to strike the cap against its anvil 10 with a sharp free blow to cause the explosion ofthe cap; A slightly further movement of the operating-lever 21 brings the parts into the condition illustrated in full lines in Fig. 2, the connecting gravity-pawl 22 being swung to almost vertical position by the weight of its arm 22*, so that it contacts at two points with the vibrating arm 16 upon thesame side of its pivotal axis on the shaft 15. operating-lever 21 to the position illustrated Consequently further movement of thein dotted lines in Fig. 2 serves to move the viv brating arm 16 against the tension. of its spring to the'idotted-line position shown in said figure. The parts are so proportioned that sufficient movement is permitted of the plunger It will be apparent that during this latter operation of loading there is no possibility of a premature explosion of the cap, as the vibratshoot a cork or other projectile a short distance, the cork being inserted in the mouth of the barrel 1 3, as illustrated in- Fig. 1, so that the expansion of the gases esca ing through the apertures 11 in the anvil w on the cap is exploded serves to shoot the cork from the gun, as will be well understood.

WVhile we have herein described our invention as applied to a toy gun of the cannon type, we do not desire to be understood as limiting ourselves to its embodiment in this particular form, as it is apparent that many slight changes and modifications might be made in the specific construction of the device without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention. It will also be obvious that while we have described our inveution as applied to a gun adaptedto explode the caps the firing mechanism thereof might well be applied to spring or air guns,

the plunger 17 being then employed to expel the projectile by direct impact or by the compression of air in the rear of said projectile in a manner that will be well understood.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is v r 1. In a toy gun, the combination with a frame, of a barrel mounted thereon, firing mechanism associated with the barrel comprising a Vibrating arm mounted in the frame for oscillation, a spring associated with said vibrating armfor normally holding it at its forward limit of movement, an operating-lever asso ciated with said vibrating arm for coaxial oscillation, a pawl carried by'said operatinglever arranged to operatively engage the vibrating arm to move the same coincidentally with the operating-lever, and a striker member arranged in the path of the pawl, said striker member being adjustable toward and from the axis of oscillation of the vibrating arm to break its connection of said pawl with said vibrating arm sooner or later during the movement of the operating-lever.

2. In a toy gun, the combination with a supporting-frame, of a barrel mounted thereon, a cap-anvil in the barrel, a cap-aperture in rear of said anvil, a spring-plunger mounted for reciprocation in said barrel in rear of the mg arm 16 and plunger 17 are fully under.

cap-anvil, a vibrating arm mounted in the frame for oscillation, having its free extra-m ity conr ected with the firing-plunger, an operating-lever mounted adjacent said vibrating arm for oscillation coaxially therewith, a pawl carried by said operatinglever arranged to constantly tend to make connection with the vVibrating arm, and means arranged in the path of movement of the pawl to release said pawl f from engagement with the vibrating arm, the

parts being so arranged that during a single continuous movement of ,the operating-lever the pawl establishes releasable connection between the operating-lever and the vibrating arm, to move said arm rearwardly coincidentally with the operating-lever, is moved to break said connection by contact with the striker member, and subsequently again connects the operating-lever with the vibrating arm for coincident movement.

3. In a toy gun, a frame,a barrel, firing mechanism associated with the barrel comprising a vibrating arm mounted for oscillation in the frame, an operating-lever mounted coaxially with said vibrating arm, a con: necting-pawl mounted relative to said axis in fixed relation tothe operating-lever, and arranged to establish connectionbetween said frame, and a barrel mounted thereon, of firing mechanism comprising a shaft 15, a vibrating arm 16, having a notch 16, mounted for free oscillation upon the shaft 15, a spring arranged to normally hold said arm at its forward limit of movement, an operating-lever 21, mounted for oscillation on the shaft 15,

' and extending on both sides thereof, a pawl 22 having a nose 22 and a relatively heavy releasing-arm 22, mounted on said lever 21, and a striker member arranged in the path of movement of the releasing-arm 22.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we atfix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ALAN L. REID. LULOFF WILSON. In presence of GEORGE L. CHINDAHL, GEORGE T. MAY, Jr. 

